Looking for new (and exciting) opportunities for your paid search campaign? Trying to go beyond the same ol’ boring text ads? If so, this post is for you.

Both Google and Yahoo are constantly enhancing their paid search offerings, and this time, they are turning to images, although in two completely different ways. Google’s feature is called Promote Your Image (PYI), and will be used to test run an image with a text ad in its Global image search section results. Yahoo will focus more on the main search engine results and will also offer videos, quick links, etc (Yahoo Image Search).

Sounds complicated? It’s actually pretty simple.

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In a recent Business Week article it stated that Facebook recently took a $200 million investment from Russia’s Digital Sky Technologies which values it at a total of $10 billion. But is it really worth that much to your company?

People have been flocking to Facebook for about 5 years now and the user base has crossed the 100 million mark. This sounds great, but you need to start capitalizing on all this traffic that is full of people eager to spread the word and share messages about their favorite brands. Here are some of the options Facebook currently offers:

• Highly targeted banner ads based on user activities and interests
• Promotion of a certain event that users can “RSVP” for
• Creating a customized group where users can become “fans” of your brand

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Low volume keywords. They’re relevant to your brand, but the engines might say otherwise. Seems like an unnecessary obstacle to any search campaign. Let’s say you’re a national brand with local offices; and given this tough economy, you still have goals for growth. You know search marketing is a cost-efficient and effective way to get your brands out there, but are only looking for customers in select metropolitan areas who are looking for your services. So, you build your search marketing campaign with a keyword list of specific search terms highly relevant to your business and consumers. This sounds like a great idea, right?  Run a campaign with targeted ads for select brands or services, or even your locations. But, as some advertisers have realized, it’s not always as peachy as it sounds.

Often times, Google will deactivate keywords that have a “historically” low search volume. There goes your great idea – a targeted search campaign that just so happens to include – and need – relevant, low-volume keywords. Until you become the next big thing in the media and social culture, sounds like you’ll be left in the dark (Maybe create a YouTube video of yourself grinding up an iPod in a blender. That seems to work.)

According to a Google rep’s response in a PPC Hero article, evaluating low volume terms “would put too much strain on Google’s servers.” Yet, putting more keywords on broad match does not seem to create any problems?

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From personal experience, I know that a mobile phone that can go beyond calling and texting is a life changer. If you want to check the latest football scores, up-to-the minute election results, or search marketing news (of course!)? You got it right there in your hand!

This is all very nice and useful, but how do you capitalize on this new lifestyle if you are an advertiser?

You tell people what they want to hear. Companies like Acuity Mobile are springing up to connect advertisers to those very consumers. With a downloadable application which users can opt into, advertisers can now send mobile phone users special messages or coupons that would entice them to take action right then and there. It is based on GPS technology that can locate a user within a range of 300 ft. or less. For example, you’re about to walk out of the casino and you receive a message that would offer you a free drink if you go back inside in the next 30 minutes.

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